Doctors Remove Stolen 6-Carat Diamond from Woman's Large Intestine After She Allegedly Swallows It

Doctors in Thailand had to surgically remove a stolen six-carat diamond from a woman’s large intestine after she allegedly swallowed it in a failed attempt to smuggle it out of the country.

Jiang Xulian, 39, of China, and an accomplice reportedly confessed to going to the Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair on Thursday and swapping out the $280,000 gem and replacing it with a fake, according to CNN.

But the two were caught on surveillance camera and later detained at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport as they tried to leave the country.

Initially, Jiang denied taking the diamond, but an X-ray revealed the gem inside her. Authorities gave her laxatives, hoping she would safely pass the diamond, but after three days it was still caught in her large intestine, which forced authorities to seek medical help.

On Sunday, doctors used a coloscope to extract the diamond, the BBC reports. At a press conference, the triumphant officials held up the diamond, while Jiang lay in front of them with her head on her arms, weakened from days without food. She is expected to make a full recovery.

Jiang and her accomplice face a three-year prison sentence and a fine.

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